US and Mexico demand crackdown on cartel corruption and tunnels

Former interim DEA director Derek Maltz warned that the fight against Mexican drug cartels cannot succeed without targeting corrupt officials who enable trafficking, money‑laundering and violence. He urged Mexican authorities to arrest those recently charged and bring them to justice in the United States.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Douglas Johnson announced the seizure of more than one ton of cocaine, worth about $45 million, hidden in a sophisticated narcotunnel linking Tijuana and Otay Mesa, California. The tunnel, nearly 2,000 feet long and equipped with electricity, ventilation and a rail system, highlighted the joint efforts of U.S. and Mexican authorities to dismantle cartel operations and hold perpetrators accountable.